History of Traditional Medicines in the World
The ancient man after many years of evolution started thinking about him and tried to understand the nature. He started living under a cover, the caves and in-groups. The process of thought has encouraged him to understand the nature and its inter action with the living beings. He started using the naturally available flora and fauna for his daily needs, in which he used the plant and animal material for his dietary and health needs.
Under this process, he explored the properties of various components in the world, like geological, astral and medicinal properties of various biological and plant materials. This started happening from the Stone Age on words. He went on discovering, standardizing and using naturally available materials for his day-to-day living.
This took place in many places of the earth parallel in different parts of the world and it developed more in places where civilization has developed more based on the intellectuality. Therefore, the history of medicine has a direct relation with the history of civilization.
The evidences of an well-organized system of medicine in India were traced in Harappa and Mohanzadaro (History of Medicine in India, Dr Priya Vrit Sharma, Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi). In the Indus valley civilization, a system of medicine has prevailed, in which drugs of vegetable, animal and mineral origin were used. The Osadhisukta of the Rigveda is the oldest document of the knowledge about plants and herbal medicines. Medicine in India owes much to the traditional knowledge of Atharvaveda of which Ayurveda is said as an Upaveda. A large number of disease-syndrome relationships were defined and described by Charaka and Susruta in their medical treatises ‘The Samhitas’. The treatment was also prescribed in a systematic manner and on rational basis.
On the other hand, it was realized that the biological phenomena could not be universally explained by mechanical means as each individual varies in his basic constitution i.e., Prakruthi that must be kept in mind while prescribing diet or drug to the patient. The binary concept like Prakriti-Purusha, Yin-Yang, Normal-Abnormal was seen in almost all philosophies.
Diseases are manifestations of humoral imbalance, which have to be tackled comprehensively on the psychosomatic basis. Health accordingly is equilibrium maintained on physical, mental and spiritual levels. Thus, the Tri-dimensional definition of health as propounded by Susrtuta is the ideal one, which has been reflected in the definition, adopted by WHO in modern times.
After going through the ancient literature it was found that, the medicines were standardized using their physico-chemical properties of the materials. The color, texture, odor and taste were used as a measure of the efficacy of any medicine. Even the shape of the medicines was used to understand the medicinal properties of the medicines. A summary of different philosophies and various factors used in the therapy is given in Tables 1–6 which are appearing in the later part of the description. FIG. 1 accompanying the specification gives a detailed information on the individual philosophies and concepts of Indian Ayurveda and Chinese Traditional medicines (Medicine in China by H. M. Sais and A hand book of Chinese Healing Herbs by Daniel Reid, Simon & Schuster) in particular and other philosophies in general. The therapeutic efficacy of a medicine ultimately depends on the chemical constituents present in the medicines under use and it is the chemical properties of the constituents that are going to bring a required change in the chemical constitution of the living animal.
Many Ayurvedic (one kind of Indian system of medicine) scholars have defined and classified the medicines based on color and their therapeutic efficacy. A brief summary is given in Table 7, which appears in the later part of the description. Thus, the physico-chemical properties of the materials and man is taken in to consideration to understand the properties of them and use for the therapy to achieve required therapeutic results. Tables 8–9 which are appearing in the later part of the description gives the information about how the physical properties (color) and chemical properties (taste) are used for understanding the therapeutic efficacy of medicines and their influence on the physiology of the human body. One part of the present work also uses the same methodology, but with instruments.
In general, the constituent molecules present in the drugs and foods can be broadly classified in to three categories as polar, medium polar and the non-polar molecules. The total polarity of the molecule depends on the total Electrophlic and Nucleophilic moieties attached to the molecule along with the unsaturation of the molecules by their conjugation. The living human body, animal body and plants will also contain the same type of molecules wherein different polar molecules will carry out different functions. Diseases were cured using the medicines of same polarity as that of the disease causing chemical constituents, i.e. the medicines which can create the disorder can cure the same disorder, as said by Dr Hanemann.
WHO Definition of Herbal Medicine:
WHO has defined herbal medicine as a “Finished, labeled medicinal products that contain as active ingredients aerial or underground parts of plants, or other plant material, or combinations thereof whether in the crude state or as plant preparations. Plant material includes juices, gums, fatty oils, essential oils, and any other substances of this nature. Herbal medicines may contain excipients in addition to the active ingredients. Medicines containing plant material combined with chemically defined active substances, including chemically defined, isolated constituents of plants, is not considered to be herbal medicines. Exceptionally, in some countries herbal medicines may also contain, by tradition, natural organic or inorganic active ingredients which are not of plant origin”.
The objective of these guidelines, therefore, is “to define basic criteria for the evaluation of quality, safety, and efficacy of herbal medicines and thereby to assist national regulatory authorities, scientific organizations, and manufacturers to undertake an assessment of the documentation/submission/dossiers in respect of such products”. As a general rule in this assessment, traditional experience means that long-term use as well as the medical, historical and ethnological background of those products shall be taken into account. The definition of long-term use may vary according to the country but should be at least several decades. Therefore, the assessment should take into account a description in the medical/pharmaceutical literature or similar sources, or a documentation of knowledge on the application of an herbal medicine without a clearly defined time limitation. Marketing authorizations of similar products should also be taken into account. As per the report, the assessment of quality should be done for the following parameters.
WHO guidelines were given for the finished product for which, the assessment of efficacy, activity, evidence required to support indications and combination products. Many herbal remedies consist of a combination of several active ingredients, and as experience of the use of traditional remedies is often based on combination products, assessment should differentiate between old and new combination products. Identical requirements for the assessment of old and new combinations would result in inappropriate assessment of certain traditional medicines. In the case of traditionally used combination products, the documentation of traditional uses (such as classical texts of Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese medicine, Unani and Siddha) and experience may serve as evidence of efficacy.
An explanation of new combination of well known substances including effective dose ranges and compatibility should be required in addition to the documentation of traditional knowledge of each single ingredient. Each active ingredient must contribute to the efficacy of the medicine. Clinical studies may be required to justify the efficacy of a new ingredient and its positive effect on the total combination.
In the report, it was also mentioned that the manufacturing procedure and formula, including the amount of excipients, should be described in detail. A finished product specification should be defined. A method of identification and where possible, quantification of the plant material in the finished product should also be defined If the identification of an active principle is not possible, it should be sufficient to identify a characteristic substance or mixture of substances (e.g., “chromatographic fingerprint”) to ensure consistent quality of the product. The finished product should comply with general requirements for particular dosage forms. For imported finished products, confirmation of the regulatory status in the country of origin should be provided. The WHO Certification Scheme on the quality of pharmaceutical products moving in international commerce should be applied. More details about stability, assessment of safety and utilization were given in the said WHO report.
The effective regulation of the quality of herbal medicines moving in international commerce also requires close liaison between national institutions that are able to keep under regular review all aspects of production and use of herbal medicines. Also, to conduct or sponsor evaluative studies of their efficacy, toxicity, safety, acceptability, cost and relative value are compared with other drugs used in modern medicine.
Hence, as mentioned above, there is a need for an authentic method of quality control as proposed in this work. It is clearly mentioned that there is a need of a method for all the above purposes. The proposed analytical will give answers for almost all of the needs described above.
Existing Methods of Standardization:
Before explaining the method of the invention of standardization, the existing methods of standardization (chemical and therapeutic) and chromatographic finger printing are discussed below.
A. Prior Art on Chemical Standardization:
I) Traditional:
The great sage Charaka explained in his Charaka Samhita that “The understanding of the totality of an entity does not arise from a fragmentary knowledge of it” (Charaka Samhita VI. 4.5). This makes it clear that standardization and therapeutic efficacy of any medicine for which all the constituents are not taken into consideration is futile.
The qualitative and quantitative profile of a herbal medicine will vary due to many geological, ecological factors, time of collection, place of collection, age of collection and weather conditions at the time of collection and so on.
Traditional herbalists used to select a medicine based on the organoleptic methods available at that time like color, texture, smell and taste by which they used to assess the chemical and therapeutic efficacy of a medicine.
These methods involve intrinsic knowledge and understanding of the inter and intra therapeutic interactions of the medicines and body constituents to cure diseases. This knowledge varies from individual to individual and depends on the individual skill and ability. Practically, it will be difficult to provide a rational justification for any mechanism to explain, using this method. Hence, modem science uses instruments for various purposes, which eliminates the individual factors and facilitates reproducibility in data and information.
ii) Modern:
The therapeutic property of any food or drug will depend on its chemical and physical status. Thus, understanding the chemical constituents using their physico-chemical properties will help to understand the therapeutic efficacy of the medicine.
The physico chemical properties of the medicines play a major role on the therapeutic activity of the medicine. These properties of molecules can be studied using two parameters, the polarity and conjugative properties. Polarity is a resultant electrochemical property due to different electron donating (nucleophilic) and electron accepting (electrophilic) moieties attached to the molecules along with the unsaturated double and triple bonds present in it. They will influence the rate of activity or reactivity of a molecule in chemical and biochemical reactions. A thorough estimation of the total polarity of the molecule will give the efficacy of a single or group of molecules as to how active they are chemically and therapeutically. Hence, any standardization, which assesses the above properties, will be useful to know their activity.
Along with the polarity, which relates mostly to the Electro-chemical property of the molecules the physical structure of the molecule also play an important role in the reactivity of the molecules. The more the number of active sites attached to the molecules, the more reactive they will be. The more the molecule is conjugated (having alternative double bond and triple bonds) the more it will be reactive chemically and so therapeutically.
The second parameter that influences the activity of the molecule is the spatial arrangement of atoms in the same molecule, which differs structurally. Due to this reason, the isomeric (geometric and chiral) molecules play an important role in the biological activity. This stereo-selective nature makes the molecules highly selective in their activity in the body where in a large number of biochemical pathways will be working parallel without cross interactions and interference's. Hence, the chemistry of chiral drugs has become very important. In other terms, no key (chiral molecule) will open a different lock (receptor).
Plants usually prepare a plurality/combinatorial library of molecules having the same basic mother structures and varying in the functional groups attached to it. For example, flavones, aurones and chalcones of flavoniods as they exist in nature and a single plant having such set of molecules will act like a multi drug.
Usually molecules having unsaturation and more conjugation absorbs the electromagnetic radiation in the UV-Visible radiation (200–800 nm). When the compounds interact with radiation they absorb at a specific wavelength (absorbance maxima) based on their chemical, conjugative and structural properties. It is called the characteristic wavelength. A molecule can have more than one-absorbance maxima based on its structural and functional properties. When a compound absorbs a particular color from the wholesome of the white light it will express the resultant color of the other colors unabsorbed. Thus, the materials will express different colors based on their chemical constituents absorbing various colors from white light and showing that their color is due to the various functional groups attached to it. (Table No 10, which appears later part of the description, explains the same). The same is taken as a measure of the chemical and physical properties of the molecules in spectrophotometry.
For example, the red colored medicines absorbs at 500–600 nm range. Thus, all the red colored medicines will have a peak in this wavelength range having specific structure and activity. Hence, the color of the medicines is being used as a measure of its therapeutic and chemical efficacy of the medicines. In ancient times, medicines were classified therapeutically based on the color. The present method proves the same. The FIG. 2 which accompanying the specification depicts relation of colors with humors shows the effect of different colors on different diseases.
FIG. 3, which accompany the specification, the fingerprints of two Shilajit samples prepared by the method of the invention, shows the difference in the chemical profile of both samples. Shilajit is a carbonaceous material that forms due to storage of vegetable and animal matter inside the earth for many years. Mostly due to lava floated over a forest destroying flora and fauna. This after undergoing many geological changes becomes carbonaceous material called Shilajit. It is abundantly available in Russia. It is the most widely used as medicine in the world. It is observed that although the general pattern of the molecules is found to be similar in Shilajit samples of different sources, the variation in the conjugative properties of the molecules is found different. This makes these medicines vary in their therapeutic efficacy hence, this type of fingerprinting is useful.
In the modern chemical analysis methods, determination of the percentage of active principles viz., alkaloids, flavonoids, enzymes, vitamins, essential oils, fats, carbohydrates, proteins, ash, acid-insoluble ash, and crude fiber is done by various analytical instruments. Some examples shown below explain how standardization is done in modern science.
It is reported (WWW//Shilajit, Fulvic acid etc,. html) that, one of the very important medicines used in Indian System of medicine Shilajit, is reported to have many compounds along with fulvic acids, and is claimed to be active principle. As this medicine from bituminous source is collected from earth stored for many years, it can be seen that the more it is in stored in the earth, the more it will be therapeutically active. Nevertheless, in the entire globe, the geological variations may not produce same molecules in all samples collected from different parts of the world. Another factor that influences the chemistry of these drugs is the purification process, which also needs to be standardized.
It is reported (WWW//Herbology. html) that, mostly standardization is done for the individual key components, which have been empirically, and scientifically proven to be most advantageous for the human system. So usually, standardization is done for certain molecules out of all present, which are found to have activity. However, the synergistic effect of other compounds present in the medicine making the total profile of the medicine should be taken into consideration for its efficacy.
It is reported (WWW//Tribulus Terrestrius puncture vine. html) that, the alcoholic extract of the fruits of Tribulus Terrestrius shows antiurolithiatic activity. In addition to this, the extract also shows a significant diuretic activity. The alkaloid Harman has been reported from the herb and Harmine from the seeds. The plant contains saponins, which on hydrolysis yield steriodal sapogenins. Many molecules of flavonoid in nature are reported in which the active principle is found saponins. The analytical report is given for the heavy metal analysis and total saponins content (20% w/w)
It is reported (WWW//Charak_com.—Quality control page—html) that, Human life is a synergy of Mental, Physical and Spiritual components, which are related to the Indian Philosophy of Ayurveda where Pitta, Kapha and Vata are considered as the basis for the total health of human beings. More details of standardization are given in the description of traditional methods of therapeutic standardization.
It is reported (WWW//Standardized Herbal Extracts\ A herbalists Perspective's, Dr.Micheal Tierra L. Ac.O.M.D html) that, due to European Guaranteed Potency Law, it becomes compulsory to standardize herbal medicines. The meaning of herbal standardization is defined as quantification of an active constituent or marker extract, where in the activity is attributed to be the most.
It is explained (Frank R Stermitz et al, PAINS/Feb15, 200/Vol 97, No 4, pp 1433–1437) that, in the plant Berberis Aristata the antimicrobial property of the extract is due to the presence of 5-Hydroxy Hydnocarpin, the berberin acting as anti microbial, and without which it will not. Hence, the synergistic effect of the entire constituents should be taken into consideration while dealing with an herbal medicine but not only an active constituent.
WHO in its Regional Publication (Dr Ranjit Roy Choudary, Hrebal Medicine for Human Health, Searo no 20) clearly mentioned what standardization is and what the member countries should do for the better use of its medicines by the people.
The role of acidity and alkalinity can be understood by carefully understanding the extraction process of constituents from the medicines at different pH values of the extraction solvents. This helps to understand the drug release mechanism in the intestine from the medicine consumed by the persons having different intestinal pH. The role of acidity and alkalinity was studied and understood carefully in understanding the therapeutic efficacy of a medicines. Acidity and alkalinity of organic and inorganic molecules are studied thoroughly to know their properties as shown in Table 11 which appear later part of the specification. Of acidity and alkalinity shows the role of acidity and alkalinity on health (Health in Hands by Devendra Vora, Navaneet publications (India) Ltd).
It is reported (WWW//Chewing. Html) that, in a study it was observed that people with acidic systems absorb more pollution than people who had established proper blood alkalinity. Acid/alkaline (pH) balance is important for normal cell function. More details were given in the article. Hence, the study of the acidity or alkalinity (organic or inorganic) in terms of ‘polarity’ will give the information of the therapeutic efficacy of the medicines. Hence, the present method, which can do this job, will be of much use to know the therapeutic efficacy of the medicines. Using this proposed method, the acidity and alkalinity can be established for the therapeutic standardization of medicines.
References made above will explain the conventional and reported methods of standardization, wherein the individual constituents are isolated at a preparative scale and compared qualitatively and quantitatively with the same compound present in the sample medicine under study.
In one of the reports (Pharmaceutical grade Saw Palmetto, Khwaja, et al U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,950) it was reported that the different individual fractions of ethanolic extract of Saw Palmetto were studied for their bioactivity by measuring the determination of IC 50 in an androgen receptor binding inhibition assay. Measurement of total fatty acid assay of whole extract and individual fractions were discussed. The fractions containing linolic acid ethyl ester and lauric acid ethyl ester were identified. The activity was calculated for each of the fraction for which androgen receptor binding inhibition has been assayed compared to the total bioactivitty of the sample. The molecular weight and amount of the individual fatty acids were identified and incorporated in to the calculation of bioactivity. The total bioactivity of the extract was calculated comparing to the total percent activity of linolic and lauric acid ethyl ester fractions.
In the traditional medicine standardization, the total profile should be taken into consideration for the therapeutic efficacy of the herbal medicine. Hence, in the present computer-based instrumental method, the total properties of all the constituents are taken into consideration as suggested in traditional concepts world over. The fingerprints of the medicines were proposed as a visual tool and proof for many purposes of dealing with medicines particularly traditional. Before discussing the method of the invention, the existing method of analytical method is given below.
Existing Analytical Methods of Chemical Standardization:
Improvement and use of modern analytical methods and instrumentation have definitely led to excellence in quality control methods of medicines. Improvement in analysis has led to more precise harvesting of many herbs as explained above and helped to prepare standardized extracts.
Although there are traditional methods of identification of medicinal plants like organoleptic, microscopic and physical, none of them gives an authentic identification, as given by a fingerprint of the plant material, as far as the chemical profile is concerned.
Hence, it is proposed that the Chromatographic Fingerprint is much useful for quality control of medicinal plants instead of other organoleptic and microscopic studies. Since, ultimately it is the chemical constituents that are largely going to participate in the therapeutic efficacy of the medicine, along with other properties of the herbal medicines; the analytical data of the chemical constituents should be able to provide the authentic efficacy of the medicine. It is like fingerprint of an individual gives the identity of him.
Till now Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC).and High Pressure (Performance) Liquid Chromatography are the methods commonly used for the analysis of any organic or organometallic compounds and finger printing. But, all the methods have some merits and demerits for an authentic analysis of medicines. The enclosed Table 12 appearing later part of the description compare various commonly existing methods of analysis, provide a general idea of the merits and demerits of them.
The commercial use of a “Chromatographic fingerprint” on the label of a commercial product is known such as the “Daily Health Capsules” distributed by the Himalaya Drug Co. of Bangalore, India. Except for setting forth the assay of the constituents no more information is given on the product label as to the finger print.
After observing the above Table, it is found that the most suitable technique available for the analysis of a mixture of compounds is “Chromatography”, which gives the profile of the mixture after the separation and identification with a suitable detector.
Out of the different types of chromatographic techniques available, the best suitable is ‘High pressure liquid chromatography’ (HPLC). Although thin layer chromatography was used till recent times, advancements brought out in the equipment and separation columns of HPLC has revolutionized the analytical field of chromatography.
Most of the pharmaceutical analysis was reported in the form of a chromatogram with the peaks due to molecules eluted by a mobile phase mostly reported in the official methods and pharmacopoeias. The constituents are analyzed after eluting on a HPLC separation column detected by using any suitable detectors for analysis.
Usually the chromatographic analysis is done using a reference standard (internal or external). Without a standard reference material, the analysis has no meaning because the peak of the chromatogram does not provide any kind of chemical properties of the compound eluted. Hence, the confirmation of the qualitative and quantitative properties (spectral or chemical) of the components are unclear.
In the qualitative and quantitative analysis of medicines/drugs (Single or Formulation), the emphasis is given mainly on the spectral and chemical properties of the components eluted after analyzing the sample. The analysis is done based on the influence of Electro magnetic radiation on the analytes (say the UV-Visible radiation) and their response to it. In the existing method of chromatography, the analytical report i.e., the chromatogram is not giving any of the chemical properties like polarity and UV-Visible absorptive properties of the constituents. The chromatogram is not able to show the presence of the molecules which does not absorb at that wave length or have a different “Absorbance maxima” other than the set wavelength (say 225 or 254 nm). If the sample is 100% pure and if it is a known molecule then the analysis at a fixed wavelength is acceptable, but it is highly impractical in the case of medicines where in more than one active molecule are present. Some examples shown at single wavelength are given in FIGS. 5–12 where in the chromatograms at various wavelengths are given. None of the single chromatogram is able to provide complete information about the chemical properties of the constituents present in the medicine particularly in traditional medicines where more than one active principle may be existing. When the chromatograms and the fingerprints are compared, the utility of the fingerprints can be under stood.
Hence, any chromatogram presented at a specific wavelength is not able to provide the complete chemical profile of the ingredients present in a single medicine and a formulation. So, the chromatogram is partial in its report, and is not acceptable. Any analytical method, which is not giving complete information of the analysis, is not scientifically acceptable.
In the analysis of herbal medicines, where different types of molecules are present having different spectral properties (The absorbance maxima) the chromatogram at a fixed single wavelength will not be a meaningful analytical report or the chromatogram.
In the use of herbal medicines, the medicine as a whole is used with some standard therapeutic conditions prescribed in the ancient literature and scripts. Hence, the concept of searching for an active ingredient is said to be incomplete, because it is the total profile that is responsible for the medicinal property of the medicine. So, any analytical method, which does not speak about the complete chemical properties of all of the constituents present in the medicine under study, will not be useful.
Also the qualitative and quantitative profile of an herbal medicine vary due to many ecological factors like time of collection, place of collection, age of collection and monsoon conditions at the part of collection and soon.
It is already mentioned (Frank R Stermirtz et al,) that the synergy of the other constituents present along with the major constituent is equally important because the first will not be able to do its function without the other constituents present in the extract as explained in the beginning.
B. Prior Art on Therapeutic Standardization:
I) Traditional Method:
The great Indian Medical sages have understood and defined the concept of Indian medicine by clearly defining the properties, constituents and humors of the living beings. They also understood the inter and intra relations amongst them. In almost all the traditional philosophies, the basic concepts include the nature and its role on the humors of the human beings. It is said that the human body is made of seven types of constituents (Saptadhatus). The normal disorders (Tridosha) are of three types. The materialistic properties of any material in the universe are due to five elements (Pancha bhutas). The interactions of different permutation and combination of these elements will influence the health. Hence, the understanding of these properties will help to understand their physical and chemical properties and so, there by their therapeutic efficacy. The philosophers in different parts of world have also developed such concepts suitable for their tradition and society.
In ancient times (pre Samhitic and pre Susrutic period in India), the physicians used Nadisastra (Science of reading pulse) to know the status of the Tridosha (Vata, Kapha and Pitta) at the time of diagnosis to know the health status of the patient. The specific type of pulse (not the heart pulse) is studied to explain the type of disorder pre-dominant in the patient (History of Medicine in India by Dr Priya Vrat Sharma, Indian National Science Academy).
It is used to understand the type of dosha(s) predominant in the patient at the time of diagnosis and the respective dosha(s) to be vitiated to cure the disorder. But this art of reading Nadi (Pulse) was confined to some people of high caliber, personal skill and ability with lot of discipline. Hence, every traditional practitioner was not able to practice it.
To over come this, the art of understanding the physico-chemical properties of the medicines and the humors of the human being had been developed and standardized. The inter and intra relations of these properties with nature which influences health had been studied and standardized thus the art of pharmacology and pharmaco-therapeutics was developed by the physicians.
The therapeutic efficacy of a drug is defined with use of a substance that is capable of bringing about an (pharmacological) action in the human body (Kriyagunavat) and due to the collective functioning of many factors, (samavayikaranam), just as a piece of cloth results because from its many component threads acting together.
In the world, there are two main types of living things, the plants and animals. It is also said that this world is made of five great elements i.e. Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Space (as said Panchabhutas in Ayurveda). The basic properties of these materials are of two types, namely Strong (Powerful) and Mild (Soft). If we accede to this highly tenable logic, we can say that in this world, all actions are due to different permutation and combination series of the above properties, giving a wide range of properties and materials varying in their intensity.
In the philosophy of most of the traditional medicine world over, the co-inherence of the nature of the five constituents is taken into consideration by which the body is made. They will help in understanding the disease or disorder of the patient. This coherence is called Purusha in Ayurveda, Yin and Yang in Chinese medicine. Table 6 appearing later part of the description gives how the Chinese system has used the above two factors, how they were classified and defined to standardize the therapy and diseases.
Chinese medicine classifies the status of the human body as Yin and Yang representing sorrow and happiness as mentioned above. These factors are attributed for various properties of the medicines and living beings. The maintenance of these factors is done holistically by taking the role of chemical, physiological and social factors in to consideration. Most of the time the Chinese medicine has a direct or indirect relation with various bio energy centers located in the body. The art of acupuncture uses the same. The other factors that reported in other philosophies have resemblance with Chinese medicine. After the panchabhautic concept, the concept of Tridosha (Pitta, Kapha and Vata) plays a major role in the Indian traditional medicine and the seven constituents (Saptadhatus) by which the body is made up of. Ayurveda believes in the holistic philosophy of life and emphasis is given for the prevention of diseases rather than curing of diseases.
The holistic approach of ayurveda advocates that the soul, mind and the body are the three integral parts of life and when these are in dynamic equilibrium and harmony, the state is called good health (Arogya). When they are in inequilibrium and disharmony, the state is called disease. (Vaishamya).
According to Ayurveda, Tridosha maintains the physiological features of various systems in dynamic equilibrium status. In other words, harmony of tridoshas bestows good health, disharmony results to disease. Hence, most of the time the tridoshas are dealt with, in curing any disease. The selection of drug is made for the disease that should be dealt with.
A disease is defined as “Any thing that brings a sadness and grief to this person (Purusha) is a disease. They are of four types 1. The accidental (agantavaha) 2. The body born (Sarirah) 3. The Mind born (Manasah) and 4. The natural (Swabhavikah). It is for this reason, most of the traditional concepts deal with both psychosomatic factors to cure the disease along with a disciplined and standardized method of life.
The diseases were classified into three classes generally. 1. The curable (Sadhya) 2. The Mitigateable or manageable (Yapya) and 3. The incurable (Asadhya). As said above, it is mostly considered as those bodily diseases having their source arise by the incompatibilities of the thridoshas viz., Vata, Kapha and Pitta and blood individually or in combination with one another. But, the diseases that arise not due to the above reason like psychological are dealt in a different way. That is why any traditional concept is used to take all the psychosomatic factors in to consideration to deal with a disease. The individual properties of the doshas are explained as given below.
Broadly it is outlined that the Vata or vayu dosha deals with endocrinological, neuromuscular and nervous activities all those that cause the major or the gross dynamics of the life, the foods that cause gas formation can be classified in this category. Pitta dosha refers to digestion and chemical functions or rasa kriya in general and Kapha dosha includes factors providing form, stability, and cohesion and lubrication factors. As the first dosha, ‘Vata’ is considered to influence the other two it is considered as the key factor for any disease. An elaborate description of these humors is given in elsewhere in the body of the text.
The decrease of vata leads to general dullness in activity. Hence, the drugs, which decrease this dullness, will be of Vata Hara. The decrease of digestive capacity is called as pitta dosha. A medicine, which increase the digestive capacity or activate bile mechanism, will be of Pitta Hara in nature. The decrease of liquidity or mucous will lead to roughness, an internal burning, an emptiness in stomach, a looseness in the joints, thirst, weakness and a continues insomnia. These are the basic symptoms of kapha disorder. Any medicine that vitiates this disorder will be of Kapha Hara in nature.
A detailed description of all the factors is given for various philosophies in order to under stand more generally about different traditional medicines world over. Table No 1 and Table No 2 (which are appearing in the later part of the description) gives an elaborate description of the Indian Ayurvedic philosophy and various components in it.
Hence, to understand the therapeutic efficacy of a medicine or food, one needs to understand their physical and chemical properties. In the ancient times people use to understand these properties using the organoleptic methods like the taste, the smell and the color of the materials. The basic properties classified were 1. Taste (Rasa), 2. Quality (Guna) 3. Potency (Virya) 4. Post assimilative status and effect of the constituents (Vipaka) and 5. Special action (prabhava, geometrical and optical isomer molecules)
It is these three factors namely, the Doshas (Disorders), the Dhatus (constituents). and the Malas (excreta) that are mainly to be dealt for curing a disease or a disorder. If the above-mentioned properties of the medicines tally with the dosha, it will be vitiated or neutralized, thus the disease is cured.
The classification and differentiation of drugs according to Ayurvedic pharmacodynamic and genetic principles vary from one situation to another according to doshic predominance of the patient. In other words there is a relation between the dravya gunas (medicinal properties) and doshas (disorders). Addition or deletion of one or more drugs may be necessitated to treat an identical disease with the patients with different individual doshas or combination of doshas. Hence, Ayurvedic pharmacotherapy is more individualistic according to dosha predominance of the patient and not generalized as in the case of modern medical pharmacotherapy. Identification of properties (Rasa, Guna, Veerya, Vipaka and Prabhava) compatible to doshas is unique and more reliable in Ayurvedic pharmacotherapy.
ii) Modern Method of Therapeutic Standardization:
The existing pharmacotherapy has not taken the above mentioned concepts into consideration. Phytochemists are interested only in isolation, purification and structural elucidation of the active principles isolated from the plants and they passed on them to pharmacologists to study their biological activity. The pharmacologists in turn screen the molecule(s) for pharmacological activity, establish its mechanism(s) of action and substantially rate its efficacy in comparison with the existing standard drugs used in modern medicine.
This concept is in no way going to help the traditional medical practitioners since the isolation of the active principle(s) drastically change the holistic character of the medicines and their therapeutic efficacy.
Instead of assaying the solvent extraction fractions, active principles etc., obtained from the individual plants, the analysis of total extract from a medicine using a solvent compatible to the human cells and cell membranes of the body will be of much use to evaluate the pharmacological activity of such medicines.
In the modern clinical trials conducted for the therapeutic standardization, they are done in three phases (four in the case of international utility), involving large number of people. The information regarding a new medicine to be submitted to Drug Controller generally consists of:    1. Chemical structure    2. Pharmacological class    3. Formulation details    4. Data on animals including data on toxicity studies    5. Data on clinical pharmacology including pharmacokinetics (Behavior of the drug in the human body)    6. Pharmacodynamics (Actions of the drug inside the body)    7. Special studies and status of the drug in the rest of the world.    8 Data on Bio-Equivalence studies
The Phase one study is mainly concerned with assessing the drug's safety to know how the medicine is absorbed, metabolized in the human body and excreted, also it envisages to estimate the side effects and the dosage.
The phase two studies are dedicated to test the efficacy in a randomized way. One group of patients will be given the actual medicine and the second with placebo.
In the phase three study, a large scale testing will be taken up to study the effectiveness, benefits and the range of possible adverse reactions of the drug. After successful completion of this step, the industry will go for marketing the drug.
In late phase III and IV studies, pharmaceutical companies will have several objectives. Studies will help to know the efficacy of the new drug compared to an existing drug. The long-term effectiveness and impact on a patient's quality of life due to the new drug will be known. The cost effectiveness of the drug therapy relative to other traditional and new therapies will be known.
But all the above studies are costly and time consuming. They will not be taking into account of the role of the ecological factors, the genetical discipline (as practiced in the Indian family and marriage relations), the psychological, the social and other variable parameters of the patient in to consideration. This will make the effectiveness of the drug limited to a particular group or genetic type of people.
C. Prior Art of Barcoding and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Customer Relationship Management Applications:
The modern method of making any commercial goods proprietary is Bar-coding. For all commercial transactions, the barcode is widely used in many ways. To make the medicines identified as proprietary goods, a novel method of bar coding is proposed in this invention.
It is reported (Peernet bar-code store (Java Active X servlet e-business)) that 1800 character and 2700 digits (Even 9,99,999 numbers) can be fed to a commercially available bar coding software to generate a barcode of any item. When a digital value and/or numerical number is given to the bar-coding software it generates a specific barcode pattern by the logic specified in the software proprietary for a user.
The barcode thus generated will present and display the attached ‘display window” file information having all details of the product/label, when a barcode readable vending machine sees (through electronic eye or sensor) the barcode on the product. The barcode can be read from any ERP and CRM applications world wide through network.
Presently the catalogue numbers are being used for bar coding the medicines and related products which does not specifically contain any chemical property of the product as proposed in the method.